Survivor's Mountain
by Mychand
Summary: Hawke and Caitlin run into some unexpected problems when they join a mountain hiking contest.
1. Chapter 1

**Survivor's Mountain**

**Chapter 1**

"Hey Dom, have you seen Caitlin yet?" asked Hawke as he made his way into the hangar that morning.

"Do you see her car out there?" Dom asked sarcastically.

"No," he replied.

"Then that's your answer," he replied.

"Why are you so grumpy this morning, Dom?" Hawke asked with a grin.

"Because we have three days to get all this stuff done around here before you head off for vacation," he replied. "And now you want to drag Caitlin into your plans."

"What plans?" asked Caitlin as she came in overhearing their conversation.

Hawke turned and smiled at her. "Good morning," he said.

"Good morning," she replied. "Don't' change the subject. What is it that you want to drag me into?"

Hawke smiled as he put his arm around her shoulders and walked her over to the desk that sat in the back of the hangar.

"Well, you know this mountain survivor hike thing I'm going on this week?" he asked.

"Yeah, what about it?" she asked.

"You know it's an army buddy thing," he continued. "We get together every three years to reunite and compete."

"That much you've told me before," she replied. "So how does this involve me?"

"I read the information letter they sent this year wrong," he replied. "Apparently it is a couple's challenge and everyone is bringing their wives or girl friends."

"Ah, and you don't have either of those?" she grinned wondering if Hawke had another girl friend of the week.

"Funny," he replied. "Will you please go with me?"

"Hmmm….," she replied. "Spend the week hiking on a grueling mountain trail or sit by the pool drinking margaritas? What a tough decision."

"Caitlin, I think we'd have a good chance to win the top prize. It is fifty thousand dollars," said Hawke.

Caitlin tilted her head sideways and grinned. "Well, if you put it like that, I can sit by the pool any old time."

Dom rolled his eyes at the two. "Well, if you two don't get your butts in gear neither of you will be able to go. We have a ton of things to get done around here."

"I'll work late tonight to help out, Dom," said Hawke as he handed Caitlin a sheet of paper and some cash. "Caitlin's going to need to go and do some shopping. This is the list of things you'll need."

Caitlin took the paper and money from him and studied the list. "Wow, okay," she replied. "I think I have some of these things but I surely don't mind shopping."

Caitlin looked at Dom for approval. He shook his head and sighed. "Go on," he told her. "This thing is really important to String. Go get what you need."

Caitlin ran over and kissed Dom on the cheek. "Thanks," she said as she grabbed her purse and bolted out the door.

"I sure hope she knows what she's getting in to," Dom said. "I hear that's a tough trail."

"She can handle it," Hawke told him. "Of all the women I know, she's about the only one I would consider bringing on one of these things. I'm surprised at how many wives are coming though."

Three days went by quickly and as they were packing up their things to leave, Hawke began to fill Caitlin in on some of the rules for the contest. One major rule is that no team was allowed to work together or set up camp within fifty feet of each other.

"That sounds crazy Hawke," she said. "How is this considered a reunion when all you ever do is compete against each other and keep away from one another?"

"They do have a small welcome party the first night and a big party at the end," replied Hawke. "I guess the rest is just a test to see who still has all their skills after all these years and who's gotten kind of soft."

"Where does the prize money come from?" asked Caitlin.

"One of the guys, Peter Cummings' father owns a law firm out in Colorado," replied Hawke. "He's pretty wealthy and he's ex-military as well. He sponsors the event every three years."

Caitlin smiled. "Have you ever won it?" she asked.

"Once," he replied. "Of course the trail was much simpler and the prize was only a case of beer back then. It wasn't until the later years that it really became a big contest. Now men from other units join us. From what I've heard, nearly seventy couples have signed up this time."

"I have to admit that I've never done anything like this before," said Caitlin.

Hawke smiled. "You'll do great," he replied.

The two packed the Jeep and climbed in after saying goodbye to Dom. Caitlin couldn't help but notice that Hawke was quiet on the drive up.

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

"Sorry," he replied. "I just had some things on my mind. I hope you don't mind that all the other women are wives or girlfriends. We'll be sharing a small one room cabin the first night."

Caitlin placed her hand on his knee. "Hawke, it's me," she replied. "No worries."

Hawke winked at her and grinned. "Thanks, Cait," he replied. "This year is a little sad. One of my best friends died right after the last time we all got together. It won't be the same without him there."

"I'm sorry," she replied. "Have you lost many others?"

"Two," he replied. "One was in a car accident and another had cancer. It doesn't get an easier as the years go by."

"Is it the friendships that drive you go each time?" she asked.

Hawke shrugged. "Yeah, that's part of it," he explained. "I think that I like challenging myself to make sure I still have those survival skills."

Caitlin laughed. "So you don't think some of the things we've been through on our Airwolf missions haven't been enough proof for you?" she asked.

Hawke grinned. "Oh, some of our missions have been too much proof for me," he replied. "But this is different somehow. Honestly, it doesn't matter to me if we're the first one back and win the money or not. Just completing the hike will be enough."

Caitlin sighed and thought a moment about what he had said before responding. "Nah, I kind of want the money," she said with a smirk.


	2. Chapter 2

_The action will begin to move faster after this chapter. I had to set the scene a bit more before I could tell the story. This will probably be my usual ten chapter story. I hope to have it done by Tuesday night or I won't be able to finish until I return from my vacation the following week. _

**Chapter 2**

Caitlin enjoyed taking in the scenery as they made their way to the check-in camp. She thought about how challenging the trail might be. It all seemed exciting to her. Not that flying Airwolf missions wasn't exciting enough but she felt like she was getting into a rut.

"I'm glad you asked me to come," she said when she finally spoke up.

Hawke smiled. "Me too," he admitted. "We usually do these challenges alone. It'll be nice to have someone else along to talk to."

"I thought you rather enjoyed having time alone?" she asked.

"I do sometimes," he replied. "Oh, did I tell you that Mike and Paul are coming?"

"No," she replied. "That's great. I'll get to catch up with Lisa and Marie."

"They'll like that," he replied. "I'm sure they are all wondering who I planned on bringing up with me."

Caitlin smiled. She loved the idea of pairing up with Hawke. She knew he only considered the two of them as friends but deep down, she wished it were more. Still, she enjoyed his company and liked the idea of getting to spend time alone with him even if it was just as friends.

When they finally met up with the others, the group held an information dinner and provided everyone with the rules for the hike.

"Everyone must check in and show proof of your first aid equipment," the head organizer told them. "Safety is our first priority. You will not be allowed to go on the trail without it."

"Who is that?" Caitlin asked Hawke, referring to the speaker.

"David Mathews," he replied. "He actually became a doctor after he got out of the army. They like to put him in charge of any first aid issues. He usually just comes as a volunteer and stays off the trails."

"Speaking of docs," Caitlin replied as she pointed across the room. "Hawke look."

Hawke turned to see a familiar face sitting at one of the front tables. After introductions were made and information was passed out along with dinner, Hawke and Caitlin made their way over to their friend's table.

"Doc," Caitlin said with a smile. "What are you doing here?"

Doc turned and returned the smile before giving Caitlin a hug. "Hey guys," he replied. "I was hoping you'd be here. Some of my old unit decided to join in this year."

"Who is this?" Hawke asked as he motioned towards the slender blonde woman sitting at Doc's table.

"This is Ally," he replied. "Like you, I don't currently have a wife or girl friend. Ally is an old family friend."

Doc introduced Caitlin and Hawke to his friend and the four of them sat down together and chatted until it was time for all of those competing to call it a night.

"Too bad we aren't allowed to stay in groups on the trail," Caitlin told Doc. "It would be nice to be able to hike it with you two."

"Yeah, I'd like that too," said Doc as he kissed Caitlin goodnight on the cheek.

"I don't get what the big deal is," said Ally. "It isn't like they'll have to give out more than one prize. Why would they care if people pull together and split it?"

"Maybe they're worried it will give them an unfair advantage,' replied Hawke. "It really doesn't make any sense though."

Caitlin stared at Hawke as he watched Doc and Ally climb the stairs to their one room cabin. The grounds were set up in six areas and housed twelve small cabins in each area. They were normally used as part of a Boy Scout camp but the group had rented the whole area for the hiking event. Hawke and Caitlin's cabin was at the end of the same grouping.

"Maybe we can switch partners," Caitlin told Hawke as the stepped into their cabin.

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"I saw how you looked at Ally," she replied. "She's really pretty and Doc did say they were just old friends. Maybe I could go with Doc and you could hike with her."

Hawke threw his backpack onto the bed and approached Caitlin, pulling her to him gently.

"Why, do you have a thing for Doc now?" he teased as he wrapped his arms around her while facing her.

Caitlin blushed slightly. "No," she replied. "Quit changing the subject."

Hawke laughed as he leaned in and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. "I'm not," he replied. "Doc has known Ally since they were kids. He's actually told me a lot about her, including the fact that she doesn't like men."

"Really?" asked Caitlin. "Or, are you just teasing me?"

"Nope, I'm serious," he replied. "He told me a story about how he did everything he could imagine to get her to date him and how it killed his ego until she finally explained why she wasn't interested. After that, they became best friends. I guess it's true what they say. All the good ones are either married or gay."

"Not all the good ones," Caitlin retorted.

Hawke hugged her tightly. "I know," he whispered before pulling away. "Let's get some sleep. We have a long couple of days ahead of us."

"Okay," she said as she plopped down on the bed. "I still think we should stick as close to them as we can."

As she closed her eyes and tried to fall asleep, Caitlin couldn't help but wonder about how Hawke was acting. It wasn't unusual for him to be a bit touchy feely with her. They had always seemed to have that closeness and she was comfortable with it. "No," she thought to herself. "Don't jump to any conclusions. It will get you nowhere because you and Hawke are just friends. Doc on the other hand, just might be an option now."


	3. Chapter 3

_So sorry for the delay. I've been out of town on vacation and didn't have my own laptop with me._

**Chapter 3**

The next morning the hikers were fed a light, healthy breakfast and were told that there would be an important meeting before the hike began. Plans had changed due to the number of participants so it was decided that each pair would be assigned a starting time two minutes apart. The winner would be based on who made it back in the shortest amount of time. Each pair had to retrieve three special flags, one from a checkpoint on the way up, one at the top and one on the way down. This would be verification that they had actually met the challenge. No winner would be determined until all of the hikers were back and all of the travel times recorded. Names were drawn as to the order each pair would start.

"I guess that makes our chances of being near Doc and Ally pretty slim," said Caitlin. "It'll take a couple of hours to get everyone going."

"Yeah," replied Hawke. "I sure hope we don't have to wait around too long. I'm anxious to get going."

"Me too," Caitlin admitted.

The two were fortunate to only have to wait about a half hour before they were allowed to start. Doc and Ally started about twenty minutes ahead of them.

"Maybe we can catch up," Caitlin said as they began their hike.

"Maybe," replied Hawke. "Let's just pace ourselves and see what kind of pace we can keep up. I've heard it starts out pretty easy but gets a lot harder once you get halfway to the top."

"Okay," she replied. "I'm right behind you. Just lead the way."

The first leg of the climb seemed to go pretty fast for the pair. The path was free of any tree limbs that might have fallen in their way because they had been cleared by those before them.

"Seems like starting later just might be a blessing," said Caitlin.

"For now," Hawke replied. "It's going to get tougher."

Halfway through the day, clouds started to build and the sky became dark.

"This doesn't look good," Hawke told her. "I think we need to either find some shelter or a flat area to pitch our tent."

"I see a good section just up on the right," Caitlin told him.

"Yeah, I think that'll do fine," he replied.

As they continued up the mountain path, Caitlin noticed the rocks were a bit looser and it was harder to maintain footing. Hawke had gotten about thirty feet ahead of her when she saw him fall face forward on the ground.

"Hawke!" she screamed as she scrambled to get closer to him.

It wasn't until she was directly over him that she noticed his right food had fallen into some kind of hole.

"Hawke!" she yelled again as she gently rolled him over onto his back.

His face was scratched and bleeding and a welt was forming on his forehead.

"Caitlin!" Doc yelled as he quickly made his way down the path towards them.

"Doc!" replied Caitlin. "Hawke's hurt."

"We are camped just up on that ridge," he replied. "I saw you guys coming and Hawke's fall. What happened?"

"Looks like he hit some kind of hole," she replied.

"Hmmmm," replied Doc as he assessed Hawke's condition. "We came through here about a half hour ago and I didn't notice that."

"That's odd," said Caitlin. "It almost looks as if someone dug it on purpose. See how the branches are covering the hole almost perfectly?"

Doc gave her a solemn look. "These are some great guys out here," he told her. "Many are real heroes who have saved countless lives. I find it hard to believe that any of them would potentially try and hurt someone."

"I know," she replied. "But sometimes money causes people to do things they wouldn't normally do."

Doc sighed. "True," he replied. "Let's just hope this was an isolated incident."

"Yea," said Caitlin. "By the way, how did we manage to catch up to you? Did you just stop for the storm?"

"Partly," he replied. "Ally twisted her ankle so we decided to go ahead and rest up some."

Doc cleaned Hawke's facial wounds and checked his vitals before helping Caitlin to set up their tent. The storm was coming in faster and he needed to get back to Ally.

"He'll be fine," he told her. "Good thing we have these medical kits. He's going to have one hell of a headache so the aspirin will come in handy."

They moved Hawke inside the tent and Caitlin gave Doc a hug and a peck on the lips. "Thanks," she replied.

"Anytime," he replied with a smile before pointing to their camping spot. "We'll ride out the storm right up there. If you need me, just call out."

"I will," she replied softly.

Doc quickly headed back to Ally as the rain began to come down slowly at first. Once Caitlin had gotten her and all their gear inside the tent, it began to pour. Shivering, she pulled out a blanket, covered Hawke with part of it and slid in beside him, laying a flashlight at their heads in case they needed it. The tent was small and there was just enough room for the two of them and their things. Suddenly feeling exhausted, she drifted off to sleep at the sound of the rain.

Caitlin's dreams were far from pleasant. Flashes of pain and anguish impaled her brain. She began to toss and turn in the little tent and finally, unaware of her surroundings, she sat up screaming.

"Caitlin!" Hawke said softly as he found and turned on the flashlight before wrapping his arms around her. "Are you okay?"

Caitlin stared at him a moment and then looked around, taking in her surroundings. It had gotten darker outside and the rain was slowly coming to an end. She reached up and gently touched the side of his face.

"I'm okay," she replied. "I just had a bad dream. You're the one who is hurt. Are you okay?"  
Hawke gave her a slight smile. "I'll live," he replied. "What happened? The last thing I remember is tripping and falling."

Caitlin pulled the blanket back up on her to relieve a sudden chill before answering. "You fell into some kind of hole," she told him. "Doc is up on the next ridge. He came down and helped."

Hawke listened intently as Caitlin described the hole and her theory that someone dug it.

"I don't like to think that someone would do that on purpose but we need to be extra careful from here on out," he informed her as he laid back down and pulled her down with him. "Do you care to talk about it?"

"About what?" she asked.

"The dream," Hawke replied.

"I don't recall much about it," she lied. "It's no big deal."

"Okay," he replied softly. "I say we get some more rest. I'm sure everyone stopped during the storm so I doubt we are too far behind. We'll try and make up some time in the morning."

Caitlin smiled. "Sounds good," she said.


	4. Chapter 4

_Sorry for the long delay. Sometimes things in life just get in the way. I'll try to have another chapter up sometime this weekend if time permits._

**Chapter 4**

Early the next morning, Doc came to wake them and check on Hawke. Since the game had changed to the team assignment of time, they decided they would just finish the climb together.

"I think it's a good idea we stick together," Doc told them. "One of the teams that came through late told us that ten other teams dropped out due to injuries before they even made it this far."

"Wow, that's quite a bit," said Caitlin. "I never thought this mountain would be so dangerous."

The group had an uneventful morning and managed to reach the first mark and get their flags. They took a quick rest break at that point before gathering their things and continuing up the mountain. While there, they found out that more than half of the teams had called it quits due to injuries and that there were only thirty pairs left, including them.

"We'll have to all watch our steps carefully," Hawke told them. "Let's stick close."

"I agree," replied Doc. "I'm doing this for the challenge. I knew it wouldn't be easy but it sure sounds more difficult than I thought it would be."

"We can do it," Caitlin spoke up with a grin as she wrapped her hand around Doc's arm. "Plus, less people gives us better odds."

"How's you ankle Ally?" Hawke asked.

"It's fine," she replied. "I'm lucky I didn't sprain it. I just bruised it. I'll be able to make it."

"Good to hear," Hawke said as he checked out the trail map before they headed back out. "It looks like this next leg of the trail follows a stream."

"Alright, let's go then," replied Doc.

Hawke couldn't help but notice that Caitlin seemed really pleased to be continuing the climb with Doc. He handed over her pack and helped her put it on before taking her hand and leading her out of the check point.

The next part of their climb proved to be more difficult. It did follow a stream but parts of the trail were blocked by rock formations and they found themselves having to do some climbing. After about an hour they finally reached a part of the trail where the path seemed to level back out and wind around the mountain instead of up.

"Let's stop and take a break," Doc said while noticing that Ally was starting to favor one side as she walked. "I want to check out Ally's ankle."

"Oh come on," Ally complained. "I'm fine. Don't fuss over me."

Doc shook his head. "Sit," he demanded. "I may need to rewrap it."

"Fine," she replied hesitantly. "Do what you must."

While they waited, Caitlin walked over and sat down on a large boulder by the stream. She breathed in the fresh mountain air and closed her eyes. She loved the mountains and even though the trail was proving difficult, she found that she was enjoying herself.

Hawke studied the trail map again and told them that the next part appeared to be a little easier as they were almost near the top. It was the backside of the mountain that he was unsure of.

"At least we'll be heading down instead of up," said Ally as Doc finished wrapping her ankle. "So, will I live?"

Doc smiled. "It doesn't look too bad," he replied. "Yeah, I think you'll make it."

"Let's go then," said Hawke.

As Caitlin stood up, she suddenly lost her footing. Before she knew it, she found herself tumbling into the mountain stream and being pulled back down the mountain.

"Caitlin!" Hawke yelled.

"I'll get her," Doc screamed as he ran down along the stream and jumped from rock to rock to try and reach her. Before he knew it, he had slipped in as well.

Hawke and Ally watched helplessly as their friends quickly drifted out of site.

"What are we going to do?" asked Ally.

"Head back down and follow the stream," he replied. "They have to stop sometime."

"That's what I'm afraid of," replied Ally as she quickly followed behind him.

Caitlin found herself bumping into rock after rock. She somehow managed to keep herself afloat but her energy was draining and the pain in her shoulder was excruciating. When she finally felt that she was at her breaking point, she felt two arms grab her and pull her out of the water.

"Doc?" she asked in a near whisper before passing out.

Meanwhile, Hawke and Ally were making their way down along the stream and calling out to their friends as they went.

"I pray they're okay," said Ally. "That water looks pretty hazardous."

"Yeah," Hawke replied softly. "I remember an area where the water level was really low. I don't know how far down it was but if they weren't able to get out sooner, they'll definitely be out by then."

"I sure hope so," replied Ally.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Caitlin opened her eyes and stared up at the worried face of Doc. She shivered as the wind blew across her.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I think I hurt my shoulder," she said while trying to sit up.

"Yeah, you dislocated it," he told her. "Stay still. I was kind of glad you weren't conscious when I had to re-set it."

Doc took off his shirt and made a makeshift sling. "We need to immobilize it," he told her. But, I think you'll be fine."

Caitlin slowly set up as Doc put the shirt sling on her. She couldn't help but stare at his well toned stomach. She smiled at him and when he reached over to adjust the sling, she leaned in and kissed him.

Doc put his hand behind her head and kissed her back. Afterwards he smiled.

"What brought that on?" he asked.

"Sorry," she replied. "I didn't mean to be so forward."

"It's okay," he replied. "I liked it. I'm just surprised. I always thought you were into Hawke."

Caitlin frowned. "Me being into Hawke is like a dog chasing and trying to catch his tail," she replied. "It's a complete waste of time and will never happen."

"Come on now," replied Doc. "I know he cares for you. It's why I've never hit on you."

"Maybe," she replied. "But he'll never act on it. I've given up hope on that. I think the chance has passed."

Doc stood up and wavered on his feet a bit as he helped Caitlin stand.

"Are you okay?" she asked as she studied his face.

"Yeah, just a little dizzy," he replied. "I think I hit my head."

It was only then that Caitlin noticed blood on the side of Doc's head. "Looks like you have a pretty bad gash," she replied. "It doesn't look like it's still bleeding though. We need to get back to Hawke and Ally and get the first aid kit."

Doc surveyed their surroundings. "I don't think we went too far down. They were following us," he told her. "They should catch up shortly."

Caitlin smiled as she leaned in and kissed him again. "Thanks for rescuing me," she told him.

Ally smiled as she and Hawke finally spotted their friends.

"Doc," she yelled as they got closer. "Are you two okay?"

"Just a little banged up," he replied back. "Caitlin dislocated her shoulder."

Caitlin smiled. "Ally, you'll need to take care of that gash on his head."

Hawke walked up and gave Caitlin a gentle hug as to not hurt her shoulder. "I'm glad you're okay," he told her.

"Yeah, thanks to Doc," she replied. "I can't believe he jumped in after me. I don't know how I slipped in the first place. I thought I was on solid ground."

"Well, we can check it out on the way back up," replied Hawke. "That is if you two are still up for the climb."

"No way I'm quitting now," replied Caitlin. "Let's keep going."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Hawke walked over to Caitlin who was sitting on a large boulder waiting for Ally to take care of Doc's wound. He studied her face carefully, taking note that she looked a bit pale.

"Cait," he said as he sat down beside her. "No one is going to think any less of you if you need to call it quits. I can tell you're hurting. I've dislocated my shoulder before. I know how painful it can be."

"Hawke, don't worry about me," she replied, giving him a half smile. "Yes, it hurts a bit but I'll be fine. I don't want to quit after coming so far."

Hawke gave her a deep sigh. "Okay," he reluctantly replied. "Just promise me that you'll let me know if it all gets to be too much for you."

"I promise," she replied softly.

"At least you two didn't make past where we had to climb before," Ally interjected. "It won't take too long to get back to where we left off."

"Thank goodness," replied Caitlin.

"Let's go," said Doc as the men let the women take the lead.

When the women got a slight distance ahead of them, Hawke grabbed Doc's arm and stopped him. "I need to know what you're doing with Caitlin," he told him, nearly whispering to keep her from overhearing.

Doc shrugged. "I don't know," he replied. "She kissed me and I admit it, I'm attracted to her."

"Look Doc," replied Hawke. "She's been through a lot lately. I don't want to see her get hurt."

"I'm not the one who will hurt her," Doc replied sharply before softening his stance. "Look Hawke, you know me. You know my respect for women. I'd never do anything to hurt her. She's a beautiful person inside and out. It's hard to find a woman like that these days. The problem is I know her heart belongs elsewhere. But, if you aren't going to make a move, I am."

Hawke let go of Doc's arm as the women turned around and stared at them.

"Is everything okay?" Caitlin asked.

"Yeah, I was just a little dizzy," Doc lied. "I'm fine now though."

"Maybe we should stop and rest some more," Ally suggested.

"No, that's okay," said Doc. "Let's keep going."

By the time nightfall came, the group had finally made it to the top of the mountain to their second check point. They set up camp there and talked to the other hikers who had come in just before them. They found out there were now only twenty pairs left and that everyone else had to pull out due to various injuries.

"I guess we're different than most," Ally said with a laugh. "We're all walking wounded yet we still keep on going."

"I don't like to give up," Caitlin admitted.

"Me either," replied Hawke as he watched her shift her arm slightly in the sling. "Come on Cait, let's go and get some rest."

Caitlin stood up and said goodnight to the others before following Hawke to their tent. Once inside, they laid down and Hawke covered them both with a blanket before moving closer to her.

"Cait," he said after they lay there quiet for a few moments. "I'm sorry I dragged you out here and you got hurt."

"It's okay Hawke," she replied. "It's not your fault. I knew it could be dangerous. I'm going to be fine."

"I know," he replied as he rested his hand on her arm.

"I'm glad I came," she said. "Quit worrying."

Hawke found it hard to sleep. His mind drifted to the kiss he saw between Caitlin and Doc. It bothered him more than he wanted to admit and he wanted more than anything to tell her that she shouldn't get involved with Doc. But, he knew Doc was a good person and there was really no reason he could give her for staying away from him.

Just as Hawke was finally drifting off to sleep, he was awakened by Caitlin's scream.

She was sitting up and shaking, her breath labored.

"Cait, are you okay?" he asked as he gently put his arm around her waist.

"I'm okay," she replied unconvincingly.

Caitlin pulled away from Hawke and opened the tent flap before climbing out. "I just need a little air," she told him.

Hawke climbed out behind her. "I'll go with you," he replied.

"No, I need to be alone for a few minutes," she said. "Just go back inside the tent. Please."

Hawke shrugged his shoulders. "Sure," he replied as he turned to go back inside. "If you need me, let me know."

"I will," she said as she turned and walked towards the edge of the camp.

She walked several yards away before stopping and staring up at the moon. It was large and bright and illuminated the entire camp.

"Caitlin?" said Doc as he approached her from behind.

Caitlin turned and ran into his arms. Doc pulled her close, being mindful of her shoulder.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly. "I heard you scream."

Caitlin couldn't stop the tears from flowing. "I keep having this recurring nightmare," she sobbed. "I don't know what it means."

"What's it about?" he asked while still holding on to her.

Caitlin hesitated at first but then pulled away and looked up at him.

"It's just that…," she started. "You know what happened with Ken Sawyer don't you?"

"Yeah," he replied. "I know that was rough on you. Are you reliving that day?"

Caitlin pulled back further and turned away from him before answering.

"Partly," she replied while wiping away the tears that had streamed down her face.

She turned back around and took a deep breath before continuing. "Doc, when I relive what happened I see Hawke's face in place of Ken's. It's like he's the one who tied me to that bomb. He's the one who used me. It scares the hell out of me. I don't know why I'm having these dreams. Hawke would never hurt me like that."

Doc took her hand and pulled her back into a hug. "Dreams can be complicated," he told her. "You went through a traumatic event. It's normal to have nightmares about it.

"But not like this," she replied. "Not about Hawke."

"What about me?" asked Hawke as he came up behind the two of them.

Caitlin pulled away from Doc and wiped her face again. "I'm tired," she said, trying to change the subject. "Can we talk about this in the morning?"

Before Hawke could answer, an explosion came from the trail that led into the checkpoint. The three of them were violently thrown to the ground.


	6. Chapter 6

_Alright, I hope I caught all the typos etc in this. My puppy has been demanding my attention all morning and it's been hard to concentrate. I may not be able to get another chapter done until later in the week but I'll try. _

**Chapter 6**

Everyone from the camp came running out of their tents to find out what had happened. Debris from the rocks and dirt filled the air.

One of the other hikers ran over to Hawke and helped him to his feet. It took a moment for him to get his bearings before he went over to check on Caitlin. She was surrounded by three others who had helped her to sit up.

"Caitlin!" Hawke yelled as he squatted down beside her. "Are you okay?"

Hawke helped Caitlin by supporting her back with his hand. "Can't….breathe…." she gasped.

"Take it easy," he told her. "Relax and breathe slowly through your nose. You're hyperventilating."

A few minutes later Doc and the others surrounded them as Caitlin slowly got her breathing under control.

"What the hell happened?" asked Ally.

"It looks like someone blew up a part of the trail," Doc replied, still shaken.

Hawke stood up and looked for one of the trail organizers he knew named Chris. "How many teams still haven't reached this check in?" he asked him.

"Six," Chris replied. "Three of them should be close."

"We need to go look for them," Doc insisted. "They could be hurt or trapped by falling rocks."

"I think it's too dangerous right now," said Chris. "I'll contact our home base and see what they can do to help."

"I'll do more than that," Hawke said to his friends as he helped Caitlin to her feet. "I think it's time I called Dom to bring the Lady. With his help we'll be able to find the others and check for more explosives."

"Someone doesn't want the hikers to make it to the end," said Ally.

"It sure looks that way," replied Hawke. "Ally will you take care of Caitlin while I go and contact Dom?"

"I'm going with you," replied Doc. "Then I say we see how far we can get down that trail."

Hawke pulled Caitlin into a hug and whispered into her ear. "Go and get some rest," he insisted.

Then he turned to Doc. "Alright," he said. "Doc, let's go make that call and then see what we can do to help until Dom gets here. Ally, please make sure Caitlin lies down."

Caitlin and Ally watched as the men made their way over to Chris to use his radio and contact Dom.

Ally took Caitlin by the arm and turned her back towards the tents. "Come on," she said. "Let's get you back inside your tent."

Caitlin started to walk with her and then suddenly stopped. "No," she told her. "I can't sleep right now."

"Okay," replied Ally. "Then let's just go over by the campfire there and sit down for awhile."

Caitlin looked over at the large campfire that had been built by the organizers. There were large fold up chairs all around it. Some of the others who were not able to join the search party that Doc and Hawke were putting together had already sat down to warm themselves with the flames.

"I wish we could help," Ally said as they took a seat.

Caitlin's mind was racing. Ally could see that she was focused on everything around them.

"We can help," Caitlin whispered to her. "That was too close. I have a gut feeling that someone here at the check point is responsible for that explosion."

"Even if that's the case," replied Ally. "How can we prove it? You're in no shape to do anything right now. Hawke wants you to rest."

"Hawke is not the boss of me," Caitlin snipped. "I don't need to be treated like a baby."

"I'm sorry," Ally replied. "What do you want to do?"

"I want to figure out who is behind all of these accidents," she replied. "The thing is that if it was a hiker, it would have to be more than one group."

"What do you mean?" asked Ally.

"Think about it," replied Caitlin. "The few groups that left before us made it. Then you and Hawke got hurt. We all managed to get through the first part of the trail just fine but most of those later groups suffered injuries on a part of the trail that should have been easy."

"So you think that someone ahead of us and another group behind us could be working together?" asked Ally.

"Possibly," she replied. "Either that or it's not someone who is even in the hike."

"I can see why someone in the hike would want to take the others out," Ally told her. "I don't get why someone on the outside would want to hurt anyone though."

Caitlin sat back in her chair and closed her eyes before responding. "With seventy pairs participating, there's a chance that anyone of us could have been targeted for something," she replied. "I'm sure Hawke is thinking the same thing. We'll have our friend Michael check on it as soon as Dom gets here."

"What do you want to do in the meantime?" asked Ally as she warmed her hands with the fire.

"Sit and watch," replied Caitlin. "Right now that's all I can do. People tend to trip themselves up."

Ally smiled. "I see why Doc thinks so highly of you," she told her.

Caitlin opened her eyes and turned towards Ally. "He's a great guy," she replied.

"But…." replied Ally.

"How did you know there was a "but"?" asked Caitlin.

"I can see how you are with Hawke," Ally admitted. "I've watched you both dance around the truth."

Caitlin frowned. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"Come on," replied Ally. "You know what I mean. The two of you seem to really care about each other yet you act scared to death of one another."

"I'm not scared of Hawke," Caitlin replied while slightly raising her voice.

"Well that's good to know," Hawke said as he and Doc came up behind them.

Caitlin shot Ally a dirty look before turning towards the men. "Did you get in touch with Dom?" she asked.

"He's on his way," Hawke replied. "We're getting ready to head down the path a ways and see if we find anyone."

"We should be back before Dom gets here," Doc added.

Hawke reached over the chair and put his hands on Caitlin's shoulders. "Please try and get some rest," he said.

"Okay, I'll try," she lied. "You be careful."

"Always," Hawke replied with a wink.


	7. Chapter 7

_Okay...wrote this kind of quick. I was trying to get another one up because I'm not sure how much time I'll have to write this week. Thanks so much for the reviews._

**Chapter 7**

Once the guys headed out, Caitlin began watching all of the people that were left in the camp.

"What makes you think it isn't someone who went out there with Hawke and Doc?" Ally whispered.

"They won't risk it," Caitlin whispered back. "I have a strong feeling that whoever it is may have more explosives hidden around here."

"Should we look?" asked Ally.

"Yeah, as soon as this last group goes back to their tents," said Caitlin. "We'll go inside ours at the same time so it doesn't seem suspicious and then we'll come back out."

"Okay," said Ally. "It's a plan."

The women sat quiet for awhile before Ally finally spoke up. "Cait, I know you don't know me all that well but I have to ask. What's going on with you and the guys? I can tell that both like you a lot. Hawke and I saw you and Doc kissing when we found you by the stream."

Caitlin was a bit surprised by Ally's comment. "You saw us?" she replied blushing a bit. "I think Doc is great."

"But?" asked Ally.

"I'm in love with Hawke," she admitted. "It doesn't matter though. He doesn't feel the same way about me. He thinks I'm some kid or something."

"I don't know Cait," said Ally. "I saw the look on his face when he saw you kissing Doc. I don't think he liked it very much."

"I think your imagining things," Caitlin said with a laugh.

"Then why did he tell Doc to leave you alone?" Ally replied.

"What?" Caitlin asked while turning in her chair and giving Ally a shocked look. "You're kidding me, right?"

"Nope," Ally replied. "Doc told me about it tonight."

"What did Doc say about it?" she couldn't help but ask.

"I think he just told Hawke that he liked you and if Hawke wasn't going to make a move then he was," Ally told her. "So how do you feel about that?"

Caitlin shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know," she admitted. "If there's no chance with Hawke then I'd be crazy not to see what happens with Doc. Still, I hate making Doc a second choice. It's not very fair to him."

"No, it's not," said Ally. "But you're the only one who knows what you really want. I say follow your heart no matter what."

"Thanks," Caitlin replied softly. "My head tells me one thing but my heart says another."

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

An hour later the women found themselves searching the check point grounds. They had to be extra quiet because they knew that Chris was still up and waiting for word via radio from Hawke and the rescue group.

"Look," said Caitlin as she pointed to a large rock formation about fifty feet from the camp. "Does that look like a cave opening to you?"

"Yeah, it does," replied Ally. "Let's go and check it out."

The woman quietly slipped past the Chris' tent and made their way to entrance of what they found was definitely a cave. Caitlin turned on her flashlight as they headed inside. They had only gone about twenty feet in when they stumbled on a large stack of crates.

"Oh my gosh," said Caitlin. "There are a ton of explosives here. It's enough to nearly bring down the whole mountain."

"Who would want to do this?" asked Ally.

"Good question," a voice came from behind them. "Now that you know, I'll regretfully have to take care of you."

"Chris?" said Caitlin. "Why?"

Chris sighed. "I'm just the one who does all the dirty work here," he replied. "You'll have to ask the other organizers the reasons why. I get paid and I don't ask questions."

"You won't get away with this," Ally told them. "Hawke and Doc will figure it all out soon enough."

Chris laughed. "By the time they do, it will be too late," he told them. "It's too late for you anyway."

A large man came from the shadows behind Chris. "Tie them up," he ordered him. Then bring out enough explosives to seal this entrance."

"No!" screamed Caitlin. "You don't want to do that. You could risk blowing the whole mountain up including yourselves."

Chris smiled. "Believe me, I know what I'm doing," he told her. "You and all the other evidence will be buried here and no one will ever know what really happened."

The large man tied the two women up and sat them up against one wall of the cave that was opposite of the explosives.

"Leave the flashlights on," Chris instructed. "Let them watch in agony as they go out, leaving them alone in total darkness until they suffocate or die a slow death of dehydration and starvation."

Caitlin felt her heart race. She was suddenly thrown back to the day that Sawyer had tied her to a bomb and Michael had to come and rescue her. The pain she felt at being betrayed hurt her more than she ever realized. Suddenly she knew why her dreams consisted of Hawke's face. Tears ran down her face.

"It's going to be okay Cait," Ally tried to assure her. "Hang in there."

"Sorry," said Caitlin as the men headed out of the cave. "That's not why I'm upset. It just brought up a memory that's all. I'm not ready to give up just yet."

The women braced themselves for the explosion that came quicker than expected. They watched as the debris fell and covered the cave opening.

They began to cough and had to fight to catch their breaths as the explosion sent tiny particles of debris into the air inside cave.

Once it all settled, Caitlin began working on a way to untie her hands.

"Hawke and Doc are sure to hear that and come back up," assured Ally.

"Yeah," replied Caitlin. "I just hope Chris doesn't get to them first."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"What the hell was that?" Dom asked himself. He saw a blip on the radar as he approached the top of the mountain. As he got closer to the planned landing spot, just west of the camp, he got a better view of the debris that filled the air.

He turned on the scanners and began to survey the area. He quickly picked up a group of people who were at the camp site near the mountain top as well as several others who were just south of it on the trail. He made a second pass of the area before landing and was shocked to see that it appeared there were also two other life forms inside the mountain. He was also surprised that it wasn't the only thing he picked up.

"I need to find String now," he said to himself as he landed Airwolf in a small clearing on the side of the mountain.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Hawke and Doc, along with the others who had gone to search for possibly trapped hikers had managed to maneuver themselves down the mountain trail and around the unsteady rocks and debris from the earlier explosion. Fortunately, the moonlight was bright and it helped to illuminate the path as they made their way down. When they got about a half a mile down they heard several people calling out for help.

"Where are you?" Hawke yelled back.

"Down here," a man called out as he turned on his flashlight and moved it around so they could spot them. "We moved out of the way of the falling rocks and now we're stuck under this overhang. There is nothing but a thirty food drop below us."

"How many people are there with you?" Doc asked. "Are you injured?"

"There are four of us," he yelled back. "We're all fine, just shaken."

Hawke and Doc studied the area. "We'll need more ropes," Doc said.

"We can get to them," said a man who had come up behind them. "My buddy Sal here and I are expert climbers. We just need your muscle power."

"You got it," replied Hawke.

Within minutes, the two men had hooked up their gear and rappelled down to rescue the others. One at a time, Hawke, Doc and a few other men helped to pull them up to safety. Just as they were assisting those last two men back up an explosion from above startled them. Doc nearly lost his footing as the rope he was holding slipped slightly out of his hand.

"What the hell!" yelled Hawke as he looked up towards the top of the mountain and then at Doc who had regained control.

"Sounded like another explosion up at the camp," he replied.

Hawke looked up again when he heard another familiar sound. "There's Dom," he yelled. "Let's hurry and get back up there."

With the hikers rescued Hawke and Doc quickly headed back up the trail.

"Careful Hawke," Doc reminded him. "These rocks are really unstable. One wrong step and it'll be a wild slide down."

Hawke sighed. "Damn it," he replied. "It's going to take a lot longer to get back up there. I sure hope everyone there is okay."

Doc's thoughts went to the women they had left behind. "Don't worry," he replied. "Cait and Ally are probably running things up there by now."

Hawke tried to smile. "Yeah, sounds like Cait," he replied softly. "I sure hope you're right."

An hour later the two finally made it back to the camp. They were greeted with a flurry of activity in and around the site.

"What's going on?" asked Doc as he stopped one of the men. "What happened? We heard another explosion."

"It happened just over there," he replied as he pointed to a section of rock toward the back of the camp. "We were all in our tents for the night and the next thing we knew it felt like the ground was shaking underneath us."

The two followed the man towards the others who were removing rocks from a pile on the side of the mountain.

"Dom!" Hawke yelled as he saw him assisting the men with the rocks.

"It's about time," Dom yelled back as he ran over to his friend.

"What's going on?" asked Doc.

"There was another explosion," he replied.

"We heard," said Hawke. "Is everyone up here okay?"

"We're not sure yet. I saw it as I was approaching," replied Dom. "I also saw that there were two people trapped inside that mountain. We're trying to get to them now."

Hawke surveyed the area. "What about using Airwolf to blast a hole?" he asked.

"We can't," replied Dom. "I picked up more than two life forms in that cave. There's also an arsenal of explosives. It would be too risky. It might take the whole side of the mountain down and no one inside there would have a chance."

"Any idea who's in there?" asked Doc.

"No one seems to know," replied Dom. "They're trying to get everyone to check in now so they can figure it out."

Hawke looked around the camp. "Where are Caitlin and Ally?" he asked.

Dom stared at him a moment. "String, I haven't seen them," he replied. "I thought they were with you two."

"Oh no," replied Doc.

"String, you don't think they're inside that mountain do you?" asked Dom.

Hawke shook his head and immediately started asking around. No one had seen the two women after they had gone to bed. Several mentioned seeing them head towards their tents but that appeared to be the last time they were spotted.

"They should be here Dom," Hawke finally replied. "If they aren't out here then I have a sinking feeling they're in there."

"Do you think they set off that explosion?" asked Doc.

"No," replied Dom. "I picked up two live bodies in there. If they had set it off, chances are they'd be dead."

"I wonder how much air they have?" asked Hawke, trying not to panic.

"We need to get them out quick," replied Doc.

"Then quit standing there and let's keep digging," Dom replied sarcastically as he headed back over to the rock pile.

The men followed and immediately began to relieve those who had been digging continuously since Dom joined them and informed them of what he had found.

Thirty minutes later, they stopped to take a quick break. Their hands and arms were bloodied and bruised and all three welcomed the water that several of the women had brought them.

"I doesn't appear that we've even made much of a dent," Dom said as he tried to catch his breath.

Doc leaned up against a large bolder. "There's got to be another way," he replied. "At this rate, we'll never get to them. My hands are so numb I can barely feel them."

Hawk joined him. He placed one arm against the rock and leaned his forehead on it. "Damn it," he said. "I told you this would happen, Dom."

Dom walked over and put his hand on his friend's shoulder. "String, this isn't your fault," he assured him. "We're going to get her out."

Doc stared at the men. "Why do you think that…." he started to say but stopped. "Oh."

Doc thought back to a long conversation the two had once while fishing. Hawke had shared his past as well as his belief that anyone he loved would die on him. It was why he had convinced himself that he should keep his distance from Caitlin.

"Ally is my best friend," he continued. "If Cait is in there, she's got to be in there too. I'm not giving up on them."

Hawke pulled away from the rock and turned towards his friends. "I'm sure as hell not giving up either."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Caitlin sat up against the wall of the cave. Her shoulder ached and untying her hands proved futile. She was just relieved that they were bound in front because she knew it would be more painful for her if they were tied in back.

I wish we could get to the flashlights," she finally said. "We need to conserve the batteries."

Ally studied Caitlin's face. Tears continued to stream down her cheeks. "We'll figure out something," she replied. "But in the meantime, let me help you. Tell me what else is wrong."

Caitlin reached up with both bound hands and tried to wipe her face. "I don't even know how to start," she sadly replied. "A few months ago I dated a man who used me."

"What do you mean?" asked Ally. "He went out with you just to sleep with you?"

"Yeah, well he had more of an ulterior motive than that," she replied. "He wanted Dom and Hawke's help with something and he strapped me to a bomb to make sure they complied."

"Wow," replied Ally. "You must have been terrified."

"I was," she admitted. "The crazy thing is that the whole time it was happening I was more upset about being betrayed and used than anything. When it was over, I thought I was fine. Then I started having these nightmares."

"I would think that's pretty normal," replied Ally. "You had a traumatic experience."

Caitlin closed her eyes and tried to fight back the tears that seemed to come faster. "Problem is," she sobbed. "In the dreams I keep seeing Hawke's face and not the guy who did that to me."

"Oh," Ally replied softly. "Do you feel that Hawke betrayed you in some way?"

Caitlin took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. "It's not that I feel he betrayed me," she finally replied. "I guess I just blame him for what happened. If he would have admitted his feelings, I would have never been with Sawyer. But, you were right earlier. I am afraid of him. I'm terrified that I'm wrong."

"Wrong about what?" Ally asked.

"I've stayed around all these years in hopes that one day he would come around," she replied. "I see how he looks at me sometimes and how protective he is of me. I really believe he loves me too." Caitlin's voice trailed off. "What if I'm wrong? What if I wasted all this time around him for nothing?" she asked.

"Then you pick up the pieces and move on," Ally replied. "But you'll never know if you don't confront him."

"I can't," Caitlin continued. "There's so much more to it. I love what I do at Santini Air too. I love Dom. I'm not sure I'm ready to leave it all behind."

"Why would you have to leave?" asked Ally.

"I think I'd be too embarrassed to stay," she admitted before looking around again at the small cave they were trapped in. "I guess it won't matter now anyway. Our chances of getting out of here seem pretty slim."

The girls sat quiet for several minutes. Caitlin's tears finally stopped and she began working on her ropes again.

"You know they aren't going to give up on getting to us," Ally finally said.

Caitlin sighed. "Yeah, I know," she replied.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

"Let's rethink this," Doc said after the men had taken their break from digging. "Do you think that there could be some kind of survey of the mountain?"

Dom looked at Hawke. "Why the hell didn't I think of that?" he asked. "Let me contact Michael. As far as we know, there might be another entrance to that cave."

"Have any of you seen Chris?" asked Hawke. "Surely he and the others checked everything out here when they planned the hike. They may have some sort of survey."

"I haven't seen him since we got back," replied Doc. "Let's check his tent."

"I'll go and contact Archangel in Airwolf," said Dom as he patted Doc on the back and headed down the trail.

Doc and Hawke quickly made their way over to Chris' tent. When they called out to him and he didn't answer, they headed in.

Once inside they were astonished at the mess they saw. Everything was strewn around the tent and the radio was in pieces all over the floor.

"What the hell happened?" asked Hawke as the turned and headed back outside.

"Are you looking for Chris?" one of the men asked as he saw them coming out.

"Yeah, have you seen him?" asked Doc.

"He said there was a problem with the radio," the man replied. "So, he took his gear and headed down the back side of the mountain."

"When did he leave?" asked Hawke.

"Right after the explosion," he man replied. "He said he'd bring help."

"Thanks," Doc replied as the man headed back to help continue with the digging.

Hawke pulled Doc aside. "Let's meet up with Dom and call down to the base from Airwolf," he told him. "It'll take him time to get down that mountain and who knows when we'll get any help up here."

"Who could have done that to the radio?" asked Doc.

Hawke thought for a moment. "Someone who doesn't want us to get into that cave," he replied with a grimace.

The men hurried to meet up with Dom. They found Airwolf sitting in the middle of a large clearing near a deep cliff. The sun was starting to come up as they climbed inside to tell Dom about what happened with Chris.

"I got in touch with Marella," Dom told them. "She's sending me the survey as we speak."

"Great," replied Hawke. "We ran into a problem."

"What's that?" asked Dom. "The radio has been demolished. Apparently Chris headed down the mountain for help after the explosion so no one's coming for help yet."

"I'll call them," replied Dom. "But in the meantime I have some good and some bad news."

Hawke shot him an irritated look. "Just tell us what's going on Dom," he pleaded.

"Well, the good news is that the military uses this mountain as a training ground for the army," he replied. "Apparently, that's how our organizers got access to it. They have very detailed surveys of it including that cave."

"Don't tell me the bad news is there isn't another entrance," Hawke replied.

"I'm not going to tell you that," Dom smirked. "Marella said that there is an entrance on the other side of the mountain."

Hawke couldn't contain his excitement. "What are we waiting for?" he asked. "Let's go."

"Whoa there," replied Dom. "We need the plans first. But there is another problem. Apparently there was a small cave in recently. Marella said the report states that it was small but they stopped using the cave in fear of it being unsafe. Going in the other side may prove dangerous."

"I don't care," replied Hawke. "I'm going in."

"I'll be right with you," Doc spoke up. "I'm not leaving those women in there to die."

"Okay then, as soon as we get the survey let's see if there is a clearing so that we can land on that side of the mountain. It'll be quicker than hiking it," replied Hawke.

**_Looks like I'm going to break my ten chapter tradition. This is going to be an eleven chapter story._**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

A few minutes later, Marella sent the land survey to them. They used Airwolf's systems to print out the portion that showed the cave. It was about a half mile long, growing narrow at some points but widening in the center and on both ends.

"I see they've marked where the cave in happened," said Doc. "It looks like it's closer to the other entrance. If we can get past that, it shouldn't be too difficult."

"I see a good place to land near the entrance," Dom told them. "It looks like the army used it to land their helicopters there."

"Let's go," Hawke ordered.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

When they finally found the cave entrance, they could see that it had been boarded up but two sections of the boards had been removed.

"It looks like someone took this down so they could get inside," Hawke told them.

"Or do think the girls found their way out?" asked Dom.

"I doubt it," replied Hawke. "We would have seen them as we flew over here. I didn't pick up anyone on the ground as we passed over. We probably should have done a thermal scan to make sure they were still in the same location."

"I can do that after you get inside," replied Dom.

"Let's go," Doc insisted as the two men climbed out of Airwolf, grabbing a couple of flashlights before they went.

"Go ahead and do a fly over," said Hawke as he leaned back in and took a hand held radio out of one of Airwolf's storage compartments. "I'll keep you posted on what we see by radio."

Doc and Hawke removed another board from the entrance and slowly made their way inside of the cave.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

It had been hours since the explosion had buried them in the cave and Caitlin found herself growing tired. She blinked, desperate to keep her eyes open.

"Do you think we're running out of oxygen?" Ally asked she saw Caitlin wavering.

"No," replied Caitlin. "I'm just so tired. We never got any sleep and my shoulder is feeling a bit numb."

Ally stared at her. "Why didn't you just say you wanted to go home after you were hurt?" she asked her. "They would've sent a helicopter for us. Why continue in that kind of pain?"

Caitlin shook her head. "I don't know," she replied. "I guess I just hated to let Hawke down. I was really surprised that he asked me to go in the first place. I wasn't ready to quit yet. But, in hindsight, I wish I had."

"I guess I can be just as stubborn," Ally admitted. "I only came to make my girlfriend mad. She doesn't like it when I spend so much time with Doc."

Caitlin smiled and then quickly put her finger up to her lips. "Shh..I hear something," she whispered.

The two women listened carefully. They could faintly hear someone coming towards them from the backside of the cave. Then they saw shivers of light dancing on the side of the cave walls.

"Hello!" Caitlin yelled. "Hawke, is that you? We're back here!"

"We're here," Ally followed.

Suddenly they saw the direct beam of a very large flashlight coming towards them.

"I knew they'd find us," Ally said, trying to contain her excitement.

As he came closer, the women could only see a dark shadow behind the beam that was now shinning directly on them. Caitlin squint her eyes before looking away. "You don't have to blind us, you know," she told him. "You found us."

"I didn't find you," he replied sarcastically. "I'll already knew you were here."

Caitlin's heart nearly stopped when she finally saw who was standing before them. "Why are you back?" she asked, dreading the answer. "Did you have a change of heart?"

Chris laughed. "Not exactly," he replied. "I realized afterwards that the chances were too high that they would get to you. I can't risk them knowing I was involved so I came back to make sure you never get a chance to tell them about me."

Caitlin looked at the gun in his other hand. "If you shoot that, the whole cave will come down on all of us, including you," she told him.

Chris smiled as he put down the gun and the flashlight and began to remove the ropes from their legs. Leaving their hands tied, he took turns helping each of them to their feet.

"Believe me, I don't want to take a chance that they'll find you in here now," he said. "Let's go."

Caitlin and Ally did as ordered and made their way through the back tunnel of the cave as Chris shone the way with the flashlight. It was slow going as rocks littered the path and the walls became narrow in some sections.

Meanwhile, Dom had lifted off and proceeded to do a scan of the mountain and the caves. He saw Hawke and Doc as they slowly made their way through the tunnel.

"What the hell?" he said to himself as he picked up three life forms on the other end.

"String!" he nearly yelled into the radio. "String!"

"What is it?" Hawke radioed back. "We just found the section that had the recent cave in. Looks like it's been cleared some."

"I can tell you why," Dom replied. "I'm picking up three bodies on the other side of you. Someone else is in that cave and they're all headed right towards you."

Hawke and Doc exchanged confused looks before Hawke reached for his gun. "Hawke, you can't shoot that thing in here," Doc insisted. "It'll bring the whole cave down on us all."

Hawke sighed deeply. "Damn it," he replied. "I don't like this one bit."

The men proceeded with caution as they headed towards the more unstable part of the tunnel. It narrowed a bit and Doc scraped his arm on the side of the cave walls.

"Ow," he said in a near whisper, trying to lighten the mood. "That's going to leave a mark."

"You'll live," Hawke replied back with a smirk before grabbing Doc's arm. The two heard sounds heading towards them. They quickly turned off their flashlights and waited for whoever was there to come closer.

Within moments they saw the beam of a large flashlight coming towards them. "You won't get away with this," Ally said to the man that was with her.

"Oh, I believe I will," replied the man.

"Chris?" Hawke thought in disbelief. "Now the whole radio thing makes more sense."

As they got closer, Hawke and Doc turned on their flashlights and confronted them.

"Hold it right there Chris," Hawke told him. "Move away from those women."

Chris laughed. "Back on out of here Hawke or we all die together."

"I'm not going anywhere," he assured him. "You don't want to die here."

"I might as well," he replied. "Prison will be worse."

"Then I guess we have a standoff," said Doc.

"Why?" asked Hawke. "Why did you sabotage the hike? Why do this to these women?"

Chris laughed again. "Money," he replied. "Well, lack of money on the organizer's part and the gain of some money for me. You see, Peter Cumming's father has hit some hard times. He doesn't have that much money to pay out as promised."

"Then why not just cancel the event?" asked Doc. "Why hurt innocent people?"

"The hike was planned way before the money ran out," replied Chris. "His firm couldn't take the bad publicity. It would have permanently ruined them. But, a few accidents would have garnered sympathy and put the firm in the news. Of course, these two had to go and ruin it all by snooping around in the cave."

"Chris, just put the gun down and we'll all walk out of here peacefully," said Hawke. "I have connections. If you cooperate, your jail time will be limited. It's better than dying in here."

"No, I can't do that," Chris said adamantly. "Keep backing up out of here. My gun is in your friend's back. One wrong move and she dies in here for sure."

Hawke and Doc slowly walked backwards towards the way they came in, keeping an eye on Chris and the women as they made their way out of the cave. When they reached the narrowest part, they had to turn sideways to get through it. Hawke slipped on a rock and fell, causing Chris to react. His gun went off and the sounds in the cave as a result were nearly deafening. Doc ran towards them as Hawke got to his feet. He grabbed Ally and Cait's hands and pulled them through the narrow passageway just before the rest of the ceiling in that area collapsed on top of Chris.

"Let's go!" Hawke yelled as the four of them quickly made their way towards the exit. They were almost there when more of the cave ceiling began to collapse. Several rocks hit Caitlin on the head and shoulder, causing her to stumble. Hawke quickly picked her up and carried her.

As soon as they got out into the fresh mountain air, the rest of the cave collapsed behind them sending dust everywhere. Doc and Ally sat on the ground, trying to catch their breaths as Hawke sat and held Caitlin in his arms. He moved his hand from her back and saw that it was covered with blood.

He felt dizzy after he realized that she had been shot.

Doc quickly moved to them to check her condition. "It looks superficial," he said while still gasping to regain control if his own breathing. He then reached for her pulse. "Pulse is strong," he continued. "We need to get her off of this mountain quick though."

Hawke looked up to see Airwolf up above. "There's our ride," he replied softly.


	11. Chapter 11

_**Okay, so I had actually written the ending before the middle. I tend to do that often for some reason. Thanks for all the feedback and reviews. I appreciate it.**_

**Chapter 11**

It had been five weeks since they came back from the hike. Caitlin was feeling better and had returned to work. The bullet had only grazed her and she had suffered a minor concussion. Hawke was surprised that she didn't talk about or mention anything that had happened on the mountain after they returned. He desperately wanted to talk to her because he felt there were things that they needed to resolve.

Dom had turned on the television in the hangar because they had heard there would be a news conference about Cummings.

The three watched as it was reported that Cummings and his son had finally confessed to what had happened on the mountain. The reporter stated that the sentencing would come in about a month.

"Well, I have to hand it to Michael," Dom said. "I really never thought he'd get them to confess."

Hawke sighed. "Yeah well we all know he seems to have a way of getting what he wants," he replied.

Hawke looked at Caitlin who had gone back to working. She didn't comment on the news report and acted as though it wasn't of interest to her.

"Caitlin," he finally spoke up and asked. "How about coming out to the cabin tonight for dinner?"

Caitlin stopped what she was doing and looked up at him. "Sure," she hesitantly replied. "I'll come."

"Good," he replied. "I think it would be nice to get a chance to talk."

"About what?" she asked, knowing the answer.

"The mountain," he replied.

"Oh, okay," she said while looking back down and continuing to work.

Later that evening, when they got back to the cabin Caitlin sat on the sofa while Hawke cooked them dinner.

They decided to eat on the sofa in front of the fire that he had started when they first got there.

"This is nice," she told him after finishing off her food. "I love it when you get the whim to cook."

Hawke grinned. "Thanks," he replied before taking their plates and sitting them on the coffee table.

Caitlin felt her heart skip a beat as he moved closer to her and took her hand in his. He played with her fingers by rubbing his thumb over her knuckles.

"Caitlin, I don't think you were telling Ally the truth out there," he finally spoke up and said.

"What do you mean?" she asked, trying hard not to show just how much she was enjoying his touch.

"You are afraid of me," he replied softly.

Caitlin took a deep breath and stared at him. She wasn't sure just how to respond.

He moved closer to her, feeling her slightly tremble. "What are you afraid of?" he finally asked.

She started to pull her hand away but he held it firmly. She felt as though she wanted to run but she knew she couldn't. She closed her eyes as he brushed his other hand across the side of her face.

"I'm afraid too," he finally admitted.

Caitlin opened her eyes and studied his face. She could see the deep pain in his eyes. He could at times be a man of few words but yet the expressions on his face always told her what he was thinking.

"I'm afraid that I could give my whole heart to you," she finally replied. "And, I'm so afraid of what will happen if you don't feel the same."

To Caitlin's surprise, the look on Hawke's face changed. He smiled at her as he gently pushed her down onto the sofa. He leaned over and whispered in her ear.

"Don't be afraid," he whispered. "Let me show you just how I feel."

"How you feel?" she whispered back before his mouth firmly settled on top of hers.

She closed her eyes and took in the feel of him suddenly on top of her, his mouth probing hers. She found herself responding to him.

When he suddenly stopped, she immediately panicked.

He sat up and stared at her before giving her a light smile and helping her sit up. "I think we should continue upstairs," he insisted. "It doesn't feel right down here."

Hawke helped her to her feet and took her hand as they ascended the stairs to his loft bedroom. Once up there he took off his shirt and tossed it into a chair in the corner of the room. He then walked over to the bed and sat down on the end, motioning for her to come to him.

Caitlin took a deep breath to calm her nerves as she moved towards him. It wasn't her first time with a man but this was Hawke and she couldn't help but to be nervous. When she reached him, he grabbed her by the arms and pulled her onto his lap, facing him as her legs wrapped around him.

He slowly unbuttoned her blouse and removed it, tossing it over on the chair with his shirt.

He leaned in and softly kissed her lips before moving down each shoulder with his mouth while slipping each bra strap off of her shoulders as he went. Then he reached behind her back and removed it entirely, leaving her exposed to him.

"We're going to take this nice and slow," he said softly. "I love you and I hope that after tonight, you'll never be afraid of how I feel again."

Her smile in return told Hawke all he needed to know. He kissed her again and then moved slowly down her chest. Caitlin closed her eyes and put her hands on the back of his head pulling him back to her mouth.

Hawke thought about how much he loved kissing her. He knew he enjoyed the first kiss they had on the movie set but this time he was able to take it further. She let him probe her mouth as she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and pulled herself closer to him, allowing her chest to brush against his.

Hawke lay back and pulled her with him so that now she was lying on top of him. She leaned down and kissed him and then stopped and sat up.

"What's wrong?" he asked, concerned that she had changed her mind.

"I just have a question," she said. "We've known each other for a couple of years now. What changed? Why now?"

"That's two questions," Hawke said with a grin.

Caitlin scrunched up her face and tried not to laugh. "You know what I mean," she replied.

"I guess you could call it fear and arrogance," he replied. "I've had feelings for you for quite awhile now and I sat back while you were dating other guys not really thinking much about it. Guess I thought they really didn't have a chance. But when I realized you could actually be falling for Doc, well, I knew that could prove serious. Doc is different than those lame guys you dated before."

"Lame?" she squealed. "Well I'll just be a lady and refrain from saying what I think about the women you've been dating."

Hawke grinned and pulled her back down to him. He kissed her before rolling over on top of her.

"Let's just forget about all of them," he told her. "All I care about is what's happening right here, right now."

Hawke took his time and moved slowly as he had told her he would. He treated her like a present he was unwrapping and he savored every minute of it.

End


End file.
